[zeprock]

In 1984 I began working at a record one-stop after they closed all our shoe shops and sent our jobs to Puerto Rico and Taiwan. The state government offered to re-train us for new careers and came in to the shop and gave us all aptitude tests. Apparently I aced my tests because they told me I could go into any field I wanted and I would probably be successful. I chose broadcasting and signed up for classes at the New England School of Broadcasting that would begin the following year. Until then I was driving my new boss's Datsun 280Z all over the state of Maine servicing little Mom & Pop stores with budget cassettes.

I managed to get all three sets that year, Donruss, Fleer and Topps as well as the Fleer Update set and the Topps Traded set. Good call on the Fleer Update as that set went way above the $50 I paid for it. Here are nine cards from my 1984 collection.

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1984 Donruss #41 Joe Carter RR RC (I first became aware of Joe Carter when he was slugging for the Indians. I completely forgot that his first card was with the Cubs.)
1984 Donruss #248 Don Mattingly RC/UER traiing on back (Maybe it is just me but I thought if you put Don in a Van Halen t-shirt and Eddie Van Halen in a Yankees cap, they could be doppelgangers for each other. RIP Eddie.)
1984 Fleer #131 Don Mattingly RC

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1984 Fleer Update #27 Roger Clemens XRC (When I bought this set, I asked if Clemens would be able to put together a stellar career and the card shop owner told me that he had a solid head on his shoulders and would more than likely end up an all-time great. I bought the set.)
1984 Fleer Update #43 Dwight Gooden XRC (Like his teammate, Strawberry, Doc never realized his true potential but boy, his first few seasons were amazing.)
1984 Fleer Update #93 Kirby Puckett XRC

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1984 O-Pee-Chee #8 Don Mattingly RC (Canada's version of his Topps rookie.)
1984 Topps #8 Don Mattingly RC
1984 Topps Traded #42T Dwight Gooden XRC